January 19, 2012

A Programmer, a Creative Person and a Knitter Walked into a Bar...

What a trip THAT would be. The programmer would absent-mindedly order a vodka martini while she continues to program her app on her iPhone (there’s an app for that!) ... the creative person would order a sparkling water while furiously making plans for an animation involving one scotch, one bourbon, one beer ... the knitter would order a single malt scotch, neat, pull out her knitting and drift off dreamily, planning her next knitting project. Or they could all be one and the same person. Creativity is a wonderful thing.

I read a book a few years ago, Drawing on the Artist Within, by Betty Edwards, who also wrote Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Drawing on the Artist Within is about improving one’s creativity, a practical guide, a series of steps to take, as it were. I found it fascinating. At the time, I needed some way to be more creative with my knitting designs, and I found it to be helpful.

Shortly thereafter, I took a class from Sally Melville on creativity at a yarn show I went to in Long Beach or San Diego or somewhere, and she touched on some of the same points from that book. She had us do a few exercises in the class and it really made the book come alive. Who knew that creativity could be learned like that? Or maybe it was just uncovered, maybe it was there all the time. Hmmmm.

So now, my life is pretty different. I feel like I am standing on the brink of something, ready to take that step that will take me off in a different direction, but I am not exactly sure what direction it is. Quite a quandry! I think I should re-read, or re-peruse, Drawing on the Artist Within to get some ideas. Regardless, I will keep on knitting, because it’s in my blood, literally. One of the first things I worked at was learning to knit again, even before I could walk. I don’t know where I will end up, what I’ll be doing, but you can bet on one thing -- I will be warm :)

Comments

A Programmer, a Creative Person and a Knitter Walked into a Bar...

What a trip THAT would be. The programmer would absent-mindedly order a vodka martini while she continues to program her app on her iPhone (there’s an app for that!) ... the creative person would order a sparkling water while furiously making plans for an animation involving one scotch, one bourbon, one beer ... the knitter would order a single malt scotch, neat, pull out her knitting and drift off dreamily, planning her next knitting project. Or they could all be one and the same person. Creativity is a wonderful thing.

I read a book a few years ago, Drawing on the Artist Within, by Betty Edwards, who also wrote Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Drawing on the Artist Within is about improving one’s creativity, a practical guide, a series of steps to take, as it were. I found it fascinating. At the time, I needed some way to be more creative with my knitting designs, and I found it to be helpful.

Shortly thereafter, I took a class from Sally Melville on creativity at a yarn show I went to in Long Beach or San Diego or somewhere, and she touched on some of the same points from that book. She had us do a few exercises in the class and it really made the book come alive. Who knew that creativity could be learned like that? Or maybe it was just uncovered, maybe it was there all the time. Hmmmm.

So now, my life is pretty different. I feel like I am standing on the brink of something, ready to take that step that will take me off in a different direction, but I am not exactly sure what direction it is. Quite a quandry! I think I should re-read, or re-peruse, Drawing on the Artist Within to get some ideas. Regardless, I will keep on knitting, because it’s in my blood, literally. One of the first things I worked at was learning to knit again, even before I could walk. I don’t know where I will end up, what I’ll be doing, but you can bet on one thing -- I will be warm :)